Cygnets of Henley Ltd

Cygnets of Henley Ltd Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 133509 Inspection date 24/02/2012 Inspector Gill Walley

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Setting address Valley Road Primary School, Valley Road, Henley-on- Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1RR Telephone number 01491 414434 Email cygnetsofhenley@btclick.com Type of setting Childcare - Non-Domestic to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the setting

Cygnets of Henley Day Nursery opened in August 1997 and is registered on the Early Years Register and on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. It operates from two rooms in premises attached to the Valley Road School in Henley-on-Thames. The provision provides day care for children, out of school care and holiday clubs. The out of school care and holiday clubs operate from the school premises. The nursery, out of school care and holiday clubs serve the local area. The setting may care for no more than 47 children under eight years; of these, not more than 27 may be in the early years age group, and of these, not more than nine may be under two years at any one time. The setting also cares for 20 school-aged children in the out of school facilities all of whom may be in the early years age group. There are currently 37 children on roll in the breakfast and after school clubs and 23 children on roll in the nursery. The setting

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Description of the setting

is in receipt of nursery education funding for three and four year olds. Children attend for a variety of sessions. The provision supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. The nursery opens five days a week from 8am to 6pm all year round. The after school club opens 3pm to 6pm term time only. The holiday club opens 8am to 6pm during school holidays only. There are seven part-time/full time staff working with the children, six of whom, including the Manager hold recognised early years qualifications and one is working towards NVQ Level 2. The nursery works in close partnership with the host primary school and also with the local authority.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Provision is good. Children respond enthusiastically to the care and support they receive at the nursery and they achieve well. Activities are interesting and well- organised to meet the needs of all children in the Early Years Foundation Stage although children's progress is not always tracked effectively. Partnerships are generally good and the manager and staff have a clear knowledge of the nursery's strengths and areas for improvement. Overall procedures to ensure the health and safety of the children are robust. The nursery has a good capacity to improve.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 support children's transition to full time education by developing more effective links with their primary schools  ensure that the children are more familiar with the procedure for emergency evacuation by practicing fire drills more regularly This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  evaluate children's achievement in all areas of learning to ensure they make consistently good progress

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the early years provision

Safeguarding is good because staff have a thorough understanding of, and fully implement, policies and procedures to ensure children's safety. There are robust recruitment and vetting procedures in place to ensure that adults working with the children are suitable. Collection procedures are rigorous and security is good because children are always carefully supervised and gates are locked during sessions. Risk assessments are thorough and carried out regularly to minimise danger. Areas for preparing food and changing nappies are hygienic. Fire drills are practised so that children begin to understand the routine but they are not practiced frequently enough. Partnerships with parents and carers are good. They receive regular information through discussions, newsletters and the parent's and carers' notice board. Key persons keep parents and carers well-informed about their children's achievement and progress by sharing the children's 'Learning Journeys' with them. They keep

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the early years provision

them well-informed of the curriculum and how they can be fully involved in supporting their children's learning. There is particularly good communication between the staff and the parents and carers of the youngest children, for example about how long they have slept. Partnerships with the host school are mainly good and the children benefit from the use of the outdoor environment. However, there are relatively few links with school staff to ensure children have a smooth transition to full-time education although the manager shares relevant information with other settings. There are good partnerships with outside agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language. Staff meet regularly to discuss planning and areas for improvement. There are good self-evaluation systems in place and parents' and carers' and children's views are valued. The manager drives ambition well. Currently, staff are

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the early years provision

developing the environment to provide the children with more opportunities to extend their skills in the outdoor area and to provide brighter and more vibrant classrooms. Staff recognise that children, and boys especially, learn skills, such as problem solving particularly well when playing outdoors. Good progress has been made in addressing the recommendations from the previous inspection. In particular, risks are now assessed more rigorously and there are more activities to support the more-able children. These include sessions when they learn about numbers, letters and sounds. Staff make imaginative use of good-quality resources to effectively meet the needs of the children. They actively promote equality and diversity and ensure that children are involved in activities, such as Chinese New Year celebrations and Pancake Day. Staff observe the children's learning closely and use this information well to identify and plan for each child's next steps.

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the early years provision

However, staff do not always evaluate the progress children make to ensure that all make consistently good progress in each area of learning. Staff work well together and attend training opportunities to enhance their qualifications and expertise, for example in understanding how to promote mathematical This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 development through a wide range of activities.

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and outcomes for children

Children achieve well in most areas of learning because activities are well-planned and organised. Key persons evaluate the achievement of the children in their 'Learning Journeys' and plan for the next stage in their development. Children behave extremely well and are kind, thoughtful and considerate towards one another. The atmosphere is calm and orderly, and children can see and reach the toys they want to play with. They share them sensibly and help with the tidying up routine. Staff have a consistent approach to managing the children's behaviour through praise and positive language, and they have an excellent relationship with them. Children learn to take turns and become confident in their choice of activity. They talk about making the right choices, such as always walking when they are indoors. Talking about festivals, such as Diwali, Christmas and Guy Fawkes, multicultural dolls, instruments and dressing up clothes enrich children's

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and outcomes for children

experiences and help them understand different lifestyles, customs, dress and food. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who speak English as an additional language are fully included in all activities. Children are encouraged to make healthy decisions at snack time and learn about the importance of exercise. They develop a good understanding of keeping healthy and safe. They learn to use equipment safely, for example when solving problems, such as crossing an imaginary river by building and crossing bridges. They understand when and why they should wash their hands. They are polite and they learn very good table manners. They develop their physical skills well as they ride their bicycles and scooters in the outdoor area and use the slide. Children learn how to cross the road safely and benefit from talks on safety from the fire and police services. Visits to a local farm and travelling on different types of transport

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and outcomes for children

broaden their experiences considerably. The children use the outdoor environment well to learn about minibeasts trees and plants, and they enjoy growing and tasting a range of vegetables. The older children are developing their enterprise skills by considering how they can raise money for a new building. The younger ones take responsibility by caring for their snails, fish and hamster. Children are curious and very keen to participate in a good range of interesting activities. They develop creative skills through printing and collage and are proud of their paintings, which are displayed on the walls, and their space ship mobiles. They listen attentively to stories and practise their social and speaking and listening skills in the role play area. They learn to count and they recognise colours and simple shapes. They enjoy practising their counting skills through singing songs and nursery rhymes. They develop their independence by pouring drinks

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and outcomes for children

and clearing away after their meals. Children use simple programs on the computer, for example to help them with matching and sorting. They gain experience of weighing and comparing textures when they cook pizzas and biscuits. Overall, children are prepared well for their future learning experiences. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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